Sesto Calende, Lago di Maggiore (1 Viewer)

Back in Italy once again. Sesto Calende is at the southern end of Lago di Maggiore where the waters of the lago flow out into the Ticino River and eventually the Po. The lago is getting lower and lower with the summer. I've been busy working but the birds I have seen on my strolls up and down the river bank are; Black-headed Gull (without black heads); Mute Swan; Great Crested Grebe; Coot; Mallard; Barn Swallow; Italian Sparrow; less numerous are Yellow-legged Gull; Little Grebe; Kingfisher; Grey Heron; Collared Dove; Great Cormorant; Blackbird; Large groups of Swifts overhead and calling loudly on the days before the thunderstorms; Magpie; Dove. Carrion Crow.

The list will have to grow!

It's raining today in Sesto Calende and the leaves are starting to get their autumn colours. A pair Pied Wagtails made an appearance on the rocks beside the river; their usual spot. Barn Swallows are foraging low across the surface of the water. A pair of juvenile Common Moorhen scurrying into the reeds... why are Coot so confiding yet Moorhen are such scaredy-cats... Dusky Moorhens which we have in Australia are the same.

There have been masses of Barn Swallows foraging over the river and among them a couple of House Martins. Three Long-tailed Tits and a Great Tit were seen in the trees beside the river. We went to Zermatt and saw Alpine Chough's and Alpine Accentor's up on the bare rocky tops of the mountains. Some photos of there are on my blog.

http://topbirdsandeveryfing.typepad.com/top-birds-everyfing/

Back in London for a few days before returning home to Adelaide. The only additional species I saw around was a pair of Black Redstart at 1,500 metres at Mottarone which is a mountain top above Stresa. While there are lots of birds on the lake and the river the land birds were very quiet over the whole 4 week stay in Sesto Calende. Walking through the forests in the hills behind the town brought very little better. Off to Dungness on Monday having never been there before so looking forward to that.